1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable position information management system, a cable position information management method, and a cable position information management program, which measure the position of a cable and manage the measurement information.
The present invention also relates to a facility information management server and a facility information management program, capable of managing visually in an integrated manner information on facilities which exist in a number of locations as information managed by individual facility managers, and relates specifically to technology which enables the use of such facility information over a network, using wireless communication terminals such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and mobile telephones.
The present invention also relates to a cable core wire management system, a cable core wire management method and a cable core wire management program, which assign identification codes to optical fibers and the like, and manage the related facility information and work information in a database in a linked manner, to yield an improvement in construction efficiency and quality.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a buried cable surveying method described below is employed, to determine the cable type and installation conditions, and the like, and detect the position and depth at which buried transmission cables are laid.
First, a weak alternating magnetic field originating from an underground cable is measured from above the surface by a cable position measurement device which measures magnetic fields. Next, the distance from the point of measurement to the position of the cable is calculated based on these magnetic field measurement results (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-356177). The distance is then measured several times nearby the point of measurement, and the cable is determined to be lie directly beneath the point of measurement where the calculated distance is the shortest.
However, in order to perform cable position measurement efficiently, it is necessary to predict to a certain extent the point of measurement where measurement should next be performed, based on the cable position information determined to be the position where the cable is buried, and then perform the next measurement. However, in order to perform such a prediction at a measurement location, it is necessary for a person to determine empirically the vicinity from which measurement should next commence in order to narrow down the position of the cable, based on the measured numerical results.
Furthermore, when displaying over a map the route on which the cable is laid based on this cable position information, even though it is possible to know roughly the latitude and longitude information of the points of measurement determined to be directly above the cable position by viewing the map or the like, accurate latitude and longitude information cannot be obtained. Consequently, it was not possible to display an accurate position upon a map.
On one hand, conventionally as a system to reduce the costs involved in performing management duties, when there is a limited number of facilities to be managed, then for example instead of having custodians or the like stationed permanently at a plurality of buildings, remote management is often performed to reduce the management costs and the like of a building. This remote management is realized by a supervisor and a building side operator communicating with each other via a network, and by the supervisor performing management duties based on images taken by a CCD camera installed at the building (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2002-133559, for example).
When the facilities to be managed are provided in a plurality of locations spread over a wide area, facility management is performed based on drawing information such as facility record drawings, or character based databases.
However, in such cases as the facility management of optical transmission lines, the object of management is often widely spread and complicated.
For example, here we assume that road works are to be performed in the vicinity of an optical transmission line held by our company, and it is therefore necessary to determine the possibility of disruption of the optical transmission line (disruption determination). In such a case, because the on-site facility information is often managed based on different management systems, vast amounts of time are required to perform such tasks as verifying the on-site facility information (on-site verification), estimating the scale of the relocation construction operation when relocation is required (relocation determination), and planning the time of the switchover of the optical transmission line which accompanies the construction (construction determination). The costs involved in performing these determinations are specifically the labor costs involved in performing such tasks as the site verification, the disruption and relocation determination, construction determination, and the on-site direction, and the cause of the high cost is the fact that a plurality of personnel are involved in selecting the material on which to base their determinations, extracting the required material, and making their determination.
Furthermore, conventionally, drawing information such as facility record drawings, and character based databases are created manually, which entails a certain probability of human error, and as such the content thereof will differ from the state of the site. Consequently, the determinations above are performed based on drawing information which is created manually and therefore contains errors, sometimes in later steps work must be redone.
Moreover, in order to make the determinations under a variety of conditions using drawing information such as facility record drawings and character based databases, skill is required to interpret the drawings.
Furthermore, if a fault occurs such as the accidental severing of the optical transmission line, until now it was necessary to check drawings such as facility record drawings, bring the drawings to the site, and decide on the appropriate remedial measures while communicating with the contingency planning office.
On the other hand, because of the increase in scale of optical fiber networks, there is a need for an improvement in efficiency and quality of construction in the areas of the laying of optical fiber, and fault recovery. In order to realize an improvement in efficiency and quality of construction during the optical fiber core wire switching work which accompanies construction to lay optical fiber and the like, it is necessary to identify with greater accuracy and efficiency the core wire which is scheduled to be worked on from many similar optical fibers.
Conventionally, a method in which sheets on which are printed codes to which identification symbols arc assigned covers the optical fiber core wire, and these codes are read by a pen type code reader, is proposed as a technique for identifying mechanically the optical fiber core wire (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Applications, First Publication Nos. 2001-57683, Hei 11-295566, and Hei 9-184949). This method allows the identification of similar optical fiber core wires with very high accuracy.
However, when actually performing the work at the work site, the checking of work content which tells from which connector to which connector the identified core wire should be connected is not supported mechanically, and when incidents such as checking errors of the work content and the like caused by human error occur, they are likely to cause serious problems with regard to the reliability of the optical network.
Furthermore, conventionally, a scheme for linking mechanically the identification information assigned to the codes, the core wire information in the administration databases and the work information does not exist, and the keeping of work records and the updating of databases was performed manually. Consequently, as in the example described above, dealing with human error is a major problem.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable position information management system, management method and program, which can efficiently perform cable position measurement, and manage the measurement information.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a facility information management server and a facility information management program which allow even a user with no technical skills to more precisely grasp the facts of the site from any location, immediately and accurately, based on facility information ranging from the general state of the route as outline information to detailed cable core wire information, presented as image based spatial cross-section information, and perform the determinations relating to facility management, by the visualization, sharing and integration of individually managed facility information.
In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a cable core wire management system, a cable core wire management method and a cable core wire management program which realize an improvement in the reliability and efficiency of construction work relating to networks comprising optical fibers and the like.
A cable position information management system according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprising a portable terminal, and a server which performs data communication with the portable terminal, wherein the portable terminal comprising: a position information acquisition section which acquires position information including latitude and longitude information for a measurement point where a cable position is measured by communicating with GPS satellites; a cable position calculation section which at the measurement point receives electromagnetic waves emitted by a metal wire either integrated with or attached to a cable targeted for measurement, and based on intensity information of the electromagnetic waves, calculates a position of a cable with the measurement point as a reference point; a transmission section which links the position information for the measurement point and the position of the cable measured with the measurement point as a reference point, and transmits the position information and the position of the cable to the server as cable position information; and a display section which displays the cable position information and information received from the server, and wherein the server comprising: a receiving section which receives the cable position information sent from the portable terminal; a storage section which stores geographic information; a writing section which writes the received cable position information and the stored geographic information to the storage section in a linked manner; and a transmission section which receives a data request from the portable terminal, and retrieves the cable position information and the geographic information corresponding with the cable position information from the storage section and transmits the retrieved information.
A portable terminal according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprising: a position information acquisition section which acquires position information including latitude and longitude information for a measurement point where a cable position is measured by communicating with GPS satellites; a cable position calculation section which at the measurement point receives electromagnetic waves emitted by a metal wire either integrated with or attached to a cable targeted for measurement, and based on intensity information of the electromagnetic waves, calculates a position of a cable with the measurement point as a reference point; a storage section which links the position information for the measurement point and the position of the cable with the measurement point as a reference point, and stores the position information the position information and the position of the cable as cable position information; and a display section which displays the cable position information.
In the portable terminal, the storage section may further store facility information including cable path information, and of a plurality of pieces of the cable position information, may store cable position information positioned on the path of the cable so as to be linked with the path, and the display section may display the linked plurality of pieces of cable position information as either one of a lateral view and a longitudinal view of the cable.
A cable position information management method according to a first aspect of the present invention is a method in which cable position information is managed in an information management system comprising a portable terminal and a server which performs data communication with the portable terminal, comprising the steps of: the portable terminal acquires position information including latitude and longitude information for a measurement point where a cable position is measured by communicating with GPS satellites; the portable terminal receives electromagnetic waves emitted by a metal wire either integrated with or attached to a cable targeted for measurement, and based on intensity information of the electromagnetic waves, calculates a position of a cable with the measurement point as a reference point; the portable terminal links the position information for the measurement point and the position of the cable with the measurement position as a reference point, and transmits the position information and the position of the cable to the server as cable position information; the server receives the cable position information transmitted from the portable terminal; the server writes the received cable position information and geographic information stored in a storage section to the storage section in a linked manner; the server receives a data request from the portable terminal and retrieves the cable position information and the geographic information corresponding with the cable position information from the storage section and transmits the retrieved information; and the portable terminal displays the cable position information together with the geographic information received from the server.
A cable position information management program according to a first aspect of the present invention is a program which enables a computer to execute the processes of: a position information acquisition process which acquires position information including latitude and longitude information for a measurement point where a cable position is measured by communicating with GPS satellites; a cable position calculation process which receives electromagnetic waves emitted by a metal wire either integrated with or attached to a cable targeted for measurement, and based on intensity information of the electromagnetic waves, calculates a position of a cable with the measurement position as a reference point; a communication process which links the position information for the measurement point and the position of the cable with the measurement position as a reference point, and transmits the position information and the position of the cable to a predetermined server as cable position information; and a display process which displays the cable position information.
Another cable position information management program according to a first aspect of the present invention is a program which enables a computer to execute the processes of: a receiving process which receives, via a network, cable position information which links position information including latitude and longitude information for a measurement point where a cable position is measured, with the position of the cable having the measurement point as a reference point calculated based on intensity information output from a receiving section which receives electromagnetic waves emitted by the cable targeted for measurement at the measurement point; a writing process which writes the cable position information and geographic information stored in a storage section to the storage section in a linked manner; and a transmitting process which receives a data request from a predetermined terminal, and retrieves the cable position information and the geographic information corresponding with the cable position information from the storage section and transmits the retrieved information.
A cable position information management device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprising: a first receiving section which is provided at a predetermined distance from the earth surface and receives electromagnetic waves emitted from a metal wire either integrated with or attached to a cable targeted for measurement; a second receiving section which is provided in a different position from the first receiving section and receives the electromagnetic waves emitted from the metal wire; a third receiving section which is provided at a different position from both the first receiving section and the second receiving section and receives the electromagnetic waves emitted from the metal wire; a cable position calculation section which calculates the position of a cable using the measuring point as a reference point, based on intensity information of the electromagnetic waves received by the first receiving section, the second receiving section, and the third receiving section, respectively; and a display section which displays the cable position information.
The cable position information management device may further comprise a fourth receiving section which is provided in a different position from the first receiving section, the second receiving section, and the third receiving section and receives the electromagnetic waves emitted by the metal wire, and the cable position calculation section may calculate the position of the cable using the measuring point as a reference point, based on intensity information of the electromagnetic waves received by the first receiving section, the second receiving section, the third receiving section, and the fourth receiving section, respectively.
In the cable position information management device, the second receiving section may be provided at the same distance from the earth surface as the first receiving section, the third receiving section may be provided at a location a predetermined distance directly above the first receiving section, and the fourth receiving section may be provided at a location a predetermined distance directly above the second receiving section.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently perform the measurement and management of cable position information.
Furthermore, instead of only being able to check the position of a structure such as a duct on a map as in conventional systems, it is possible to identify the latitude, longitude and even the depth of the cable position with high accuracy.
Moreover, by linking the cable layout with geographic information during the cable construction and automatically transferring the information to plan view or longitudinal view, it is possible to prevent the human errors which occur during the recording or transcription of the information into drawings, which have conventionally been a problem, and perform a completion check which does not involve human adjustment.
Furthermore, in an on site construction review it is possible to immediately identify the cable position and prevent cable accidents from occurring.
A facility information management server according to a second aspect of the present invention, comprising: a database; a receiving section which receives a data request from a user terminal connected via a network; a data retrieval section which retrieves the requested data from the database, based on the data request; and a transmitting section which transmits the retrieved data to the user terminal, wherein the database stores: route management information including path information and route management numbers for a route from a predetermined point to another point; point facility information linked to each of the route management numbers, including a facility key provided for each of a plurality of point facilities provided on the route; section facility information linked with a predetermined two of the plurality of point facilities and including a plurality of section numbers indicating section facilities within a section between the two point facilities; relay facility information linked with the route management number and the section number and including in-route numbers indicating a plurality of relay facilities provided on the route; and at least one type of image information of the three types of image information, which are point facility image information linked with the facility key, section facility image information linked with the section number, and relay facility image information linked with the in-route number.
In the facility information management server, the point facility information may further include position information on the route, the section facility information may further include section position information on the route, the relay facility information may further include position information on the route, the database may further store geographic information linked to position information of the point facility, geographic information linked to section position information of the section facility, and geographic information linked to position information of the relay facility, the data retrieving section may further retrieve geographic information corresponding with the retrieved data, and the transmission section may transmit the retrieved data appended with the geographic information.
In the facility information management server, the section position information may include depth information indicating depth, the data retrieval section may retrieve the depth information when depth information corresponding with the retrieved data is available, and the transmission section may transmit the retrieved data appended with the depth information.
In the facility information management server, the point facility image information, the section facility image information, and the relay facility image information may be in the form of panoramic images.
In the facility information management server, the database may further store at least one type of video footage of the three types of video footage which are video footage linked to the facility key and showing the point facility, video footage linked to the section facility number and showing the section facility, and video footage linked to the in-route number and showing the relay facility, the data retrieval section may retrieve video footage corresponding with the retrieved data, and the transmission section may transmit the retrieved data appended with the video footage.
A facility information management method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a method which manages facility information relating to facilities on a route from a predetermined point to another point, comprising the steps of: storing in a database of a facility information management system, route management information including path information and route management numbers for the route, point facility information linked to each of the route management numbers, including a facility key provided for each of a plurality of point facilities provided on the route and position information of the point facilities on the route, section facility information linked with a predetermined two of the plurality of point facilities and including a plurality of section numbers indicating section facilities within a section between the two point facilities and section position information thereof on the route, relay facility information linked with the route management numbers and the section numbers and including in-route numbers provided for a plurality of relay facilities provided on the route and position information of the relay facilities on the route, point facility image information linked with the facility keys, section facility image information linked with the section numbers, relay facility image information linked with the in-route numbers, geographic information linked with position information of the point facilities, geographic information linked with section position information of the section facilities, and geographic information linked with position information of the relay facilities; receiving a data request from a user terminal connected via a network; retrieving requested data and geographic information corresponding with the requested data from the database based on the data request; and transmitting the retrieved data to the user terminal appended with the geographic information.
A facility information management program according to a second aspect of the present invention is a program which enables a computer to execute the processes for managing facility information relating to facilities on a route from a predetermined point to another point, the program comprising the processes of: storing in a database of a facility information management system, route management information including route information and route management numbers for the route, point facility information linked to each of the route management numbers, including a facility key provided for each of a plurality of point facilities provided on the route and position information of the point facilities on the route, section facility information linked with a predetermined two of the plurality of point facilities and including a plurality of section numbers indicating section facilities within a section between the two point facilities and section position information thereof on the route, relay facility information linked with the route management numbers and the section numbers and including in-route numbers provided for a plurality of relay facilities provided on the route and position information of the relay facilities on the route, point facility image information linked with the facility keys, section facility image information linked with the section numbers, relay facility image information linked with the in-route numbers, geographic information linked with position information of the point facilities, geographic information linked with section position information of the section facilities, and geographic information linked with position information of the relay facilities; receiving a data request from a user terminal connected via a network; retrieving requested data and geographic information corresponding with the requested data from the database based on the data request; and transmitting the retrieved data to the user terminal appended with the geographic information.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, because the individually managed facility information is presented to the user in an integrated form, it is possible to immediately and accurately perform the determinations relating to facility management.
Furthermore, because the individually managed facility information is presented to the user in a form integrated with geographic information, it is possible to ascertain the relationship of the position of point facilities and the position of section facilities to the road circumstances and the surrounding environment of the optical transmission line route at a glance, for example, and it is possible to perform the determinations relating to facility management immediately and accurately.
Furthermore, when there is neighboring construction such as road works near the route of the optical transmission line, because the user knows in advance the status of the cable laying position which shows at what depth the optical transmission line is buried, the task of checking the laying position while reviewing the construction on site can be performed efficiently.
A core wire management system according to a third aspect of the present invention, comprising: a server which manages core wire information; and a portable terminal which performs data communication with the server, wherein the server comprises: a first storage section which stores existing core wire information comprising a first core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier for an existing core wire and a first identification code corresponding with the first core wire identifier, switching target core wire information comprising a second core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier for a switching target core wire and a second identification code corresponding with the second core wire identifier, and work information on the switching over of the existing core wire to the switching target core wire; and a first transmitting and receiving section which receives a data request from the portable terminal, retrieves the requested data from the first storage section and transmits the requested data, and the portable terminal comprises: a second transmitting and receiving section which transmits to the server a request for the work information and a first identification code and a second identification code for an existing core wire and a switching target core wire shown by the work information to be targeted for work, and receives the work information, the first identification code and the second identification code; an identification information reading section which reads a third identification code and a fourth identification code assigned to the existing core wire and the switching target core wire, respectively; a determination section which when the first identification code and the third identification code match, and the second identification code and the fourth identification code match, determines that the core wires from which the identification code were read are scheduled for switching work, and when the identification codes do not match determines that the core wire from which the identification code were read are not scheduled for switching work; and a display section which displays results of the determination.
In the core wire management system, the identification codes may be two-dimensional codes.
In the core wire management system, the portable terminal may further comprise an updated information creation section which upon receiving input indicating that work is finished creates updated facility information after the existing core wire is switched over to the switching target core wire, and the second transmitting and receiving section may transmit the updated facility information to the server, and the server may further comprise: a second storage section which stores facility information on facilities which accommodate the existing core wire and the switching target core wire; and a facility information updating section which updates the facility information stored by the second storage section based on the updated facility information.
In the core wire management system, the updated information creation section may further create the facility information linked with fixed asset quantities and acquisition dates.
A portable terminal according to a third aspect of the present invention is a portable terminal which performs data communication with a server which manages core wire information, and the server comprises a storage section which stores existing core wire information comprising a first core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier of an existing core wire, and a first identification code corresponding with the first core wire identifier, switching target core wire information comprising a second core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier of a switching target core wire and a second identification code corresponding with the second core wire identifier, and work information on the switching over of the existing core wire to the switching target core wire, the portable terminal comprises: a transmitting and receiving section which transmits to the server a request for the work information, a first identification code and a second identification code for an existing core wire and switching target core wire shown by the work information to be targeted for work, and receives the work information, the first identification code, and second identification code; an input section which by means of an identification information reading section which reads a third identification code and a fourth identification code assigned to the existing core wire and the switching target core wire, respectively, receives the third identification code and the fourth identification code; a determination section which when the first identification code and the third identification code match, and the second identification code and the fourth identification code match, determines that the core wire from which the identification code were read are scheduled for switching work, and when the identification codes do not match, determines that the core wire from which the identification code were read are not scheduled for switching work; and a display section which displays results of the determination.
A core wire management method according to a third aspect of the present invention is a method, in which a portable terminal sends a request to a server which manages core wire information and which comprises a storage section which stores; existing core wire information comprising a first core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier of an existing core wire and a first identification code corresponding with the first core wire identifier, switching target core wire information comprising a second core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier of a switching target core wire and a second identification code corresponding with the second core wire identifier, and work information on the switching over of the existing core wire to the switching target core wire, for the work information and a first identification code and a second identification code for an existing core wire and switching target core wire which are shown by the work information to be targeted for work, the method comprising the steps of: the server receives a data request from the portable terminal, and transmits the requested data; the portable terminal receives the work information, the first identification code and the second identification code; the portable terminal, by means of an identification information reading section which reads a third identification code and a fourth identification code assigned to the existing core wire and the switching target core wire, respectively, receives the third identification code and the fourth identification code; the portable terminal determines when the first identification code and the third identification code match and the second identification code and the fourth identification code match that the core wire from which the identification code were read are scheduled for switching work, and when the identification codes do not match determines that the core wire from which the identification code were read are not scheduled for switching work; and the portable terminal displays results of the determination.
A core wire management program according to a third aspect of the present invention is a program executed in a portable terminal which performs data communication with a server, wherein the program allows a computer to execute the processes of: a process which sends a request to the server which manages core wire information and which comprises a storage section which stores: existing core wire information comprising a first core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier of an existing core wire and a first identification code corresponding with the first core wire identifier; switching target information comprising a second core wire identifier which is a core wire identifier of a switching target core wire and a second identification code corresponding with the second core wire identifier; and work information on the switching over of the existing core wire to the switching target core wire, for the work information and a first identification code and a second identification code for an existing core wire and a switching target core wire which are shown by the work information to be targeted for work, receives the work information, the first identification code and the second identification code; a process which by means of an identification information reading section which reads a third identification code and a fourth identification code assigned to the existing core wire and the switching target core wire, respectively, receives the third identification code and the fourth identification code; a process which determines when the first identification code and the third identification code match and the second identification code and the fourth identification code match that the core wire from which the identification code were read are scheduled for switching work, and when the identification codes do not match determines that the core wire from which the identification code were read are not scheduled for switching work; and a process which displays results of the determination.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, such incidents as checking errors of the work content caused by human error can be prevented, and an improvement in the reliability and efficiency of construction work relating to networks comprising optical fibers and the like can be realized.